Category Archives: Dinner Party

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Dinner Party Favors

Just as things are starting to heat up in Hong Kong we are finally ready to start hosting. I mentioned my potential half birthday party, I’m co-hosting an art event this coming weekend, and I’m trying to get a dinner party on the calendar.

I’m not a huge pasta eater {I usually reserve it for nights we are tired and cold and don’t want to cook} but after seeing these adorable take aways, I’m really tempted to have an Italian night. Especially here, where sauce prices are higher due to import, people would adore and cherish a jar of homemade marinara.

marinarasauce

 

Cute, right? Working on my guest list…

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You Can Take The Girl Out of the South…

Even though I live on the outside of the world and no longer anywhere near the South, my idea of grilling out includes burgers, baked beans and iced tea. It was a gorgeous day, sunny if a bit chilly, so we took advantage and indulged our roots.

Naturally, we started with some drinks– Arnold Palmers. A little iced tea, and a little lemonade, and a little vodka, if you like.

Since we had some young guests coming, I got some colored chalk to use on our stone tile terrace to keep them entertained.

Then, of course, the food! Hamburgers, my mom’s famous baked beans, layer salad, potato chips and brownies. What else could you ask for in a southern BBQ?! 

Our plates–

Beans were still to come {don’t worry, Mom!}. Is was great fun, then we cuddled up and watched some Oscar movies. A great Saturday. xoxo

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Creative Modern Votives

When we hosted last week we discovered that even with the lights on the wall, it was still a bit dark. We need a more permanent solution,  but in the mean time I put together some candles to give some ambient light.

We are still figuring out where to get every thing we need {as it is when you move to a new city} so I’m happy with how these turned out with just a bit of creativity.

At Japan Home Center {kind of like a home store bodega, if you can imagine that} I found small whiskey glasses and votive candles. But that wasn’t quite enough. My husband came up with the idea of using black rice and it was the perfect solution. It gave the votives the modern look I wanted. 

We scattered them around and they worked just as I hoped. I can’t wait to use them again.

What do you think?

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It’s Moroccan Night!

This weekend we had my Hong Kong BF over for dinner. She checked out my place the day I moved in— my things were still in bags (!)– so I wanted to treat her to a better experience.

We thought we would expand our entertainment area by using our entire terrace, so I added a bit comfort and color to make it more inviting.

We mixed up some cocktails {hibiscus tea, vodka and soda water with a little bit of ice} …

Then enjoyed them in the lounge area. 

For dinner, we moved to the dining area…

I arranged the flowers to match the napkins, and created the candle votives to give more light{more on this tomorrow!}.

For dinner my awesome hubby made prawn and avocado salad with lemon dressing, moroccan lamb with couscous {a warm dish, since there is still a chill in the air!} and s’mores for dessert. 

All and  all, a great night!

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New Year’s Menu Planning

Have you recovered from Christmas yet? Put away your presents? Eaten all of your leftovers?

If not, eh, you’ve got the weekend– then we can start preparing for our next holiday extravaganza… New Year’s Eve!

I love brussel sprouts, something I just discovered in the last few years. It’s now one of my favorite vegetables and I ask for it often {that’s saying a lot, since I’m a bit of a meat and potatoes kind of girl}.  These Brussel Sprout Crostinis look amazing. They will definitely be on our New Year’s Eve menu.

See the recipe here.

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Ask-A-Planner

We are getting a lot of questions about Christmas menu planning— and we love it! Certainly a holiday gathering is party planning that we can all relate! This week’s question is from Will in Washington, DC via Facebook.

 

Dear Sara, 

I have guests coming to our small DC condo after Christmas. We would like to host a dinner-type function, but do not have a dining table and/or chairs. The total number of guests is five. Any creative thoughts on how we plan a successful finger food dinner that would be filling and flexible enough for the space limitations?

Thank you, 

Will

 

Dear Will,

What a great question! This is one of those issues that so many people deal with, from those in urban areas, to newlyweds, to senior citizens.

The key to making a finger food meals successful isn’t necessarily in the menu choices, but in being creative in how to serve it. Want to serve soup? Put it in a shot glass or small cup. Want to serve a traditional holiday meal? Put it in a sandwich or a stack (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce) and cut it into bite size pieces. Want to serve french fries? Put them in a cone. You get the idea.

Next tip is to have a lot of variety. When you are having a sit down meal it’s easier to keep things simple. With little bites, variety is key. Also, don’t put everything out at once. Still keep up your “courses” so everyone is excited to see what will come out next (like a tapas restaurant!)

I did put together some menu ideas (because it’s fun!) — see what you think! 

Top row: shrimp and sausage, the cutest salads ever, brie on a stick 

Second row: quinoa stuffed cucumber, chicken’n'waffles, mac & cheese 

Third row: sweet potato rounds, beets and toast, individual berry tarts

 

Another good idea? Small plates. By using smaller plates that we have to refill more often, we get full faster. Seriously.

 

Good luck! And let us know how it goes!

xoxo

Sara

 

 

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Ask-A-Planner

This week’s question is prepping for Christmas and comes via Facebook from Ashley in Winter Park, FL.

Dear Sara, 

I am of mother of two young children, and have recently moved into a new home. We want to host Christmas Day for our families. My questions is…what are some good, easy to do before hand lunch/dinner options. We have always hosted Christmas morning and breakfast, so I know what works for our family there. I’m just stomped on how to do a late lunch/early dinner, with also enjoying the Christmas memories with my family and time with my kids. 
I love your site. 

Thank you so much for whatever help you can give,

Ashley,

Hostess in Need

 

Dear Ashley,

This is such a great question, as hosting shouldn’t have to mean that you miss the party. I tell this to my husband all the time when we host dinner parties! I say focus on a few really great dishes that are simple and wonderful and will work for everyone, to ensure that you still can spend time with your family creating memories.

I’m a big believer in things that can be made ahead of time, or things that bake for hours while you enjoy the smells wafting through the house. So one of my favorite meals, especially on the holidays, includes a roast. It can beef or pork, whatever you prefer, but a roast only takes 15 minutes or so of prep, a couple of hours of hands off time in the oven, and few minutes of carving (nothing like a bird– just a few knife slices will do) and you have a feast for the kids  to the men. It will stay juicy and flavorful without too much help for you. Easy, beautiful and holiday feeling!  {This roast pictured is herb crusted!}

The best addition to meat is obviously potatoes.  I loved this idea of sweet potatoes with apples and bacon– which could be a meal on its own, not to mention amazing leftovers. But a mashed potato bar could also be fun, if you don’t mind lots of bowls of various toppings. Again, perfect items that can be left in the oven and assembled at the last minute.

To round out the plate, a nice salad would be beautiful. This salad is berry and citrus, but as the citrus in Florida is perfect at Christmas time, you could even leave out the berries. A simple citrus and arugulia or mixed greens would be sweet and crisp, and a nice contrast to the meat and potatoes. Everything could be prepped ahead of time, then one last toss as it goes on the table is all it would take for this beautiful addition.

My other tip to making any party easier is to have one signature cocktail, rather than a full bar. I’m not sure what this drink is, but it sure looks pretty and festive! Also, not pictured here, but a simple dessert, like a pear upside down cake would be lovely, especially after a big meaty meal.

I hope you like this menu, which is geared towards a late day meal, with lots of oven time, but little hands on time. Other ideas? A pot luck can work, but can require a lot of time in coordination ahead of time. Heavy hors d’ouvers can also be nice, but I think you need a lot of variety to make it work.

I love that you are thinking of the happiness of your guests, but still maximizing memories with your family! That thoughtfulness shows you are an amazing hostess before putting out any food!

Readers– any other advice or menu suggestions?

 

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Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

For us expats in foreign counties, holidays can seem both less important and more important at the same time. Less important, because the majority of people around you aren’t aware it’s a special day for you; and more important, as it can feel a bit lonely not being with family, especially when you imagine them gathering and enjoying {and not at work!}.

One of my good friends here was nice enough to organize a thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant {no one has the space to cook or host a giant meal} for 25 of her closest friends. Since she knows me and my crazy event ways, I told her I was thinking about some kind of place setting or favor to add to the table and she was totally on board. She came up with the idea of toasting pumpkin seeds, and was even able to source them {at one of the international markets}. So yesterday I went around gathering ingredients {and a few crafting supplies} and tried my hand at toasting seeds on a stove top. {Oh yeah, no oven at my place. But that is for another post.}

Hong Kong is a big city, like New York, where you can find anything and everything– you just need to know where to find it. Well, in my 1.5 weeks back, I don’t have it all down yet, but I still think I did pretty well!

I just made up a recipe, so I’ll just talk you through it a bit. 

Step One: I melted some butter a little brown sugar in the microwave, then added the pumpkin seeds and ensured they were fully covered.

Step Two: I heavily sprinkled the seeds with a spice mix {this one had coriander, cinnamon, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, fennel, cloves and cardamom}

Step Three: I put the seeds in a hot pan and let them get nice and toasty {the first time I put a bit of butter in the pan too. Those seeds got a bit fried, which is also tasty.}

Step Four: When they got nice and toasty, I put them in a {clean} bowl and added another sprinkle of of the spice mix.

Step Five: Once they cooled down {a few hours} I used a tea strainer to grab the right amount of seeds {for me about 2.5 scoops} for individual portions.

Step Six: I wrapped the plastic into little dumpling shapes and tied them up— like so. 

Pretty easy, right?

Sorry to tell you, this isn’t the entirely completed project. I also have little tags to add, but you’ll have to wait for an entire Hong Kong Thanksgiving re-cap to see these guys in action. Until tomorrow— and safe travels!

P.S. My camera is still in transit, so please forgive my iphone pictures!

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Thanksgiving Fun with Patterned Paper

If you are like me, you save every little scrap of patterned paper left overs. Firstly– because that stuff is expensive! Secondly –because that project that needs just the tiniest touch of pattern to liven it up is right around the corner.

That project turns out to be Thanksgiving. The dinner table already has so much going on, with all the plates, glasses, food and condiments. Just a little touch of a pattern {or contrasting patterns} can make a table come together. So I love these ideas from Hello! Lucky for how to use it. I wouldn’t use all of them all at once {not with my scrap pieces, anyway!} but 1 or 2 could kick up the style on your T-day table.

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Surprise Endings

When I was in Chile a few weeks ago, we ended up at a fairly fancy restaurant for dinner one night called Ox, a steak house in Vitacura {an upscale neighborhood in Santiago}. After a nice meal, with great dips for our bread and a perfectly cooked piece of meat, they brought out a sample of sorbets in passion fruit and lemon for us to share. But that wasn’t the best part. We decided we didn’t want dessert, and were waiting for the bill. Instead, they brought us a plate of pink cotton candy!

It was so whimsical and fun, and completely unexpected for this white table cloth establishment. Our table was  excited and this thoughtful gesture really sealed this experience as one of our favorite meals of the trip.

It got me thinking about surprise endings. At Roxy + Joe’s wedding, they ended the evening with chocolate chips and milk. This wedding gave guests breakfast on their way out for the next morning. It’s such a thoughtful addition, and best when unexpected. I’m thinking of incorporating it into my next event!

 

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